Retrospect Brings Clarity : Where Do We Go From Here?
by ReleasetheBeast
Summary: He had seen her in her lingerie. She had seen him nearly nude, as well. It had been the performance of a lifetime. But feelings, desires, and inappropriate thoughts had been brought to the surface. What was the next step for partners that had always been platonic? E/O pairing. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This takes place after "Wildlife". If you like it, let me know and I will continue. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

 _ *****EEE*****_

He hadn't had time to process just exactly what had happened two nights prior. But now, as he lay recovering in the hospital bed Friday morning, staring at the muted apricot-colored paint on the wall straight ahead, waiting for his discharge papers, it seemed it was all that his mind could dwell upon.

He closed his eyes and remembered every single detail.

Those full, black, lace-covered breasts as they made contact with his firm chest, erect nipples beneath, lightly teasing his overheated skin. Her strong, yet feminine, arms wrapped around him possessively, pulling him closer. God, her toned belly pressed against his felt incredible. It was all he could do to control the signals his brain was trying to send to his manhood. He desperately willed control on his lower half while her warm, soft body was pressed to his.

Given the particular situation, he could have allowed his body to display an erection, had he wanted to, and their intruders wouldn't have thought anything of it.

But Olivia. What would she have thought? Would she have been repulsed? Insulted? Taken aback?

He was so shocked, himself, by the way that scene had played out. Elliot hadn't been ready for it and had been struck with slack-jawed paralyzing awe for those brief and fleeting moments, Olivia confident and playing the role of the lady of the night rather well. Too well, in fact.

He had been speechless, turned on, and mortified all at once. The creeping scarlet flush that spread across his chiseled pecs had been evidence enough.

Now that he had already had two days to reminisce, the only thought that plagued him now was how he wished it had lasted longer, how he wished it had been real. How his partner of ten year's feelings might—just _might_ —be as she had displayed them that evening.

It didn't matter now. He had controlled his desires, his impulses, at the exact moment that was necessary, and that's all that mattered.

 _Or was it?_

Those defining moments, the overwhelming sensations that he was feeling, were what he couldn't help but return to in his mind. He had always thought of Olivia as a beautiful woman—a friend, a partner, a confidant at times. But, somehow, this was different. It seemed different this time.

He now felt something else. _Desire? Longing?_ Perhaps it was both.

All he knew was that, what once had been an appreciation for his partner's physical beauty from afar, now seemed to have developed into an undeniable attraction.

Working closely with her every day, being in the car together, sharing meals together, he had always known that there was no doubt how attractive the brunette was. Who couldn't help but notice? She had the face of an angel and the body of a pin-up model. After all, he was a man and these things did not go unnoticed. Although married, he often let his concealed gaze gravitate toward the feminine beauty's best features, never believing that his physical attraction might take the direction it took that night.

But now he felt differently.

A switch had been turned on that night. The comfort level that Olivia had displayed in those moment—the way she held him close, that smooth, soft skin on his, her scent—all caused his heartbeat to quadruple in speed, his mind going places they hadn't dared explore when it came to his respect for Olivia Benson.

Over the past ten years, he and Olivia had a way of connecting without uttering a word. A perp, a victim, an asshole attorney could say one word and he and the beautiful brunette detective would simply look at each other in understanding, in recognition—a moment passing between them.

He hadn't been back to work yet—the following day was the day—and he wasn't quite sure what would happen. Olivia had visited him every day, a couple times a day, as well as others from the squad. But he had only had one visit from his family. It surprised and disappointed him that the people in his life who were supposed to mean the most hadn't visited.

But since that evening that Bushido and Tybor had discovered that he had a visitor, and the emotions that the situation had awoken inside of him, Elliot felt he was now in a quandary.

He wondered how he would handle these new-found emotions and sensations. He hoped he could carry on as he and Detective Benson had always had done.

But, somehow, he knew things had changed forever.

 _ *****OOO*****_

Olivia sat, elbows resting on her desk, left hand pulling on the strands of her hair as she waited for voicemail to complete its message so that she could begin to speak. Her eyes drifted upward as she waited, eyeing Fin as he entered the squad room with two cups of coffee, heading toward her desk.

She smiled as he placed it on one of the few small, vacant spaces on her desk, the area already piled with a clustered mess of scattered folders and papers, and other stray office supplies. She had been unusually busy since she walked in at eight that morning and it had been nonstop, no time to straighten the mounting piles of papers on her work space surface. With Elliot having been out the past couple of days, the workload had piled up. One of the hazards of a member being out of commission due to an injury.

 _Thanks_ , she mouthed to the mocha detective just as the voicemail message on the other end of her desk phone finished its spiel. "Ms. Andrews? This is Detective Benson at SVU. Please call me as soon as possible. We need you to come in and do an ID lineup at noon today. Please let me know if you'll be available and call me back ASAP."

Olivia replaced the phone onto the cradle and leaned back on her chair, but not before grabbing her coffee and sipped the scalding brew greedily. "Mmmm. That's good."

"Gonna pick Elliot up?" Fin's voice questioned from his desk now.

Olivia looked up and then leaned forward, "Yeah. What time is it?" She lifted her wrist and checked her watch quickly before standing hastily and beginning to form some sort of organization to the chaos on her desk. "Shit."

"Take it easy, Liv…" Fin chuckled. "Stabler can wait a few minutes."

Olivia smiled as she reached into her bottom drawer and pulled out her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. "I know he has the ability to wait, you know he can, but I don't think that he knows he can wait." Olivia stood up right now and took her car keys from her pocket. "He's been so antsy to get out of there and I promised I'd pick him up at ten sharp…"

Olivia glanced at her watch again. 9:58. In all of the craziness that had been going on that morning, she had lost track of time. Elliot would not be happy. "I'll be back, Fin…" she smirked.

"Later, Liv…good luck…" he winked.

* * *

The light was red and Olivia's mind drifted as she sat, relaxed, leaned back, waiting for it to change. She had been to see her partner every day, for the past two days, and she was finally picking him up so that he could head home and and recuperate for a week before he headed back to work.

Kathy was with the kids, visiting family, in Rhode Island, and was unable to be there for Elliot's discharge, but Olivia, ever the trustworthy partner, was available.

Olivia bit at a small piece of skin next to her thumb as her eyes glazed over, thinking of their small scene that had played out at the rented house where her partner was staying. She hadn't known that he would be raided, checked up on, and never imagined that what happened would happen.

While hiding in the bathroom, she distinctively heard the voices saying something about Elliot not being alone, and she knew that she had to do something—and fast. So, she had flushed the toilet and knew what had to be done.

It was almost comical, actually. A prostitute. She had remembered the lines in the often-quoted movie _Pretty Woman_ , and put her character into action. She had no idea where the slight Georgia accent had emerged, but it was as though a switch had been flipped and the play that she had been performing had not only become necessary, it had become quite the performance.

 _Still…_

The light turned green and the brunette detective eased forward into traffic, the hospital up ahead and on the right.

She had seen the way Elliot's chest had taken on a rosy hue. She had seen the conflict in those piercingly blue eyes. She had felt his ever-quickening breath as it streamed across her upper chest. But most of all, she had felt the firmness of his masculinity, pressed firmly against her upper hip.

Elliot had been turned on.

But it was the situation, right? Olivia was practically naked. Her partner was almost nude, as well. Skin to skin, warmth to warmth.

And he had felt so good—warm, safe, comforting, and highly erotic. She had always felt safe with Elliot and she knew that he felt the same with her.

They hadn't spoken of how their Oscar-winning performance had gone, but she knew that discussion was on the cusp of being had.

It was just a matter of time.


	2. Chapter 2

***EEE***

Elliot looked at his watch for the fiftieth time in the past fourteen minutes. She was late. _Had she forgotten?_ He inched his way off of the edge of the hospital bed, already fully clothed in jeans and a button-down white shirt for the day, and winced as he stood.

His stitches were healing nicely, his wound as well. The doctor informed him that it would be another week before he could return to work and even then he would have to take it easy and be on modified desk duty.

His partner didn't know this, though.

There were many things that she didn't know.

He and Kathy were also on rocky ground, once again. Even before the injury, even before she had gone to Connecticut to visit family, there was a tension looming between them. It seemed that this discord had been increasing throughout the years and since Eli had been born, it only added to their lack of communication, their lack of time together, the complete and utter fragmentation of their entire relationship.

She had threatened him with divorce, yet again. And it had been the same words that she used every time she thought divorce was the key to happiness—" _If you love your job more than you love us, I think you've made your choice. It's either us or work, Elliot._ "

But the fact of the matter was that he did love his job. He felt good putting those slime balls and bastards away. He felt good working with a group of competent, accomplished professionals with the same passion as himself. He had an admirable partner—a strong, caring, supportive co-worker—and he couldn't have asked for a better fit.

Elliot felt the corners of his mouth turn in a smile at the thought of her as he glanced at his watch once more and then his pre-packed duffel sitting on the chair next to the open door. He was ready to go and had been for the past couple of hours.

 _Olivia. Olivia Benson. Detective Olivia Benson._

He felt himself smile again.

She had come to see him every day over the past two days. She brought him newspapers, magazine, case files, real coffees, real food. But she brought more than that. She brought that smile of hers. The one that could melt him and did every time she let her inner happiness show.

Kathy wanted nothing to do with her husband being hurt at work, yet again. She said that she was tired of it and that she had had enough. That it wasn't good for their family. It wasn't good for the kids to see. She had told him that, for the most part, she had felt like a single parent for a while now and that she had been doing it on her own. She had told him that on the only day she had come to visit.

An image of Olivia's smile popped into his mind—that gleaming, wide, mesmerizingly beautiful grin.

That smile had been the death of him since he had first seen it on the first day that they had begun working together. A slight smirk with that raven hair and those penetrating dark eyes, that had become an even broader smile, which turned into a full-blown, wide grin. The comradery had come early on in their relationship had been like none else. That connection they had, that allegiance to each other. The understanding that they had each other's' backs at every possible moment.

 _Just like the other night._

Elliot felt his smile falter as he thought of this woman, though, the corners of his mouth beginning to tremble ever so slightly.

She was everything to him, yet she was unattainable. Olivia had morals. he saw them every day. She was a woman of intense passion and a woman of even greater virtue. He knew that she had had her share of dates in the past ten years, a few boyfriends here and there, nothing lasting. But the kindhearted brunette detective didn't let just anyone love her. Didn't let just anyone inside of that heart of hers. Trust and love from Olivia Benson had to be earned. Once that was achieved, it was the greatest prize of all.

And Elliot wanted to be the one on the podium, accepting his shiny, gold medal.

He had been graced by this goddess' presence daily—a goddess that he had had the pleasure of being next to, talking to, spending time with—a goddess that was so far out of reach to him that his fantasies seemed infantile, immature, and futile.

Being a good woman of integrity and dedication, he knew that Olivia would never consider the thoughts that rolled around his head on a daily basis. Many times, his mind imagined slamming her up against the brick wall in one of the interrogation rooms and devouring her body, making love to her, hearing her cry out his name as he pushed—

"El?"

He felt a presence in the doorway now and his eyes slowly shifted upward to lay his glazed-over eyes on one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. She was in her typical black jeans, black vest over a lacy lavender, long-sleeved blouse, badge and gun on, but she might as well have been in an elegant cocktail dress and stilettos—she was that beautiful to him.

"You OK?" Olivia came closer, dipping her head to meet his eyes. "You looked like you were in pain…"

Elliot tried a smile and nervously brushed his previous thoughts aside. "Yeah. I'm glad you're here."

"Sorry I'm late. Got caught up at work and then traffic." She watched him as he winced and leaned over the chair to retrieve his duffel, intercepting his attempts. "Here. I'll get it." She smiled at him as she lifted it with ease. "Ready?"

Elliot returned the smile. "Let's get out of here…"

* * *

A/N: A slow build. A slow burn. Hope you liked it. Reviews mean you like it. More soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Three

***OOO***

They drove in silence for a few blocks, a contented, comfortable, yet thick, air inside the roomy Caprice. The burgundy sedan wove its way through the streets, Olivia's mind spinning with so many thoughts, as it had been for the past couple of days.

The brunette decided to break the silence. "What are you gonna do for the week you're recovering at home?" Olivia reached forward and lowered the volume on the police scanner slightly and leaned back, briefly eyeing her partner's profile before letting her eyes return to the road.

When she didn't receive any response, she looked to her right and saw that Elliot was staring out of the passenger window, elbow resting on the ledge of the door, rubbing his chin. His eyes scanned the streets, pure intensity on his face.

"El?"

He turned to look at her now as she intermittently kept her eyes on the road, yet heeded the expression on his face, in those piercing eyes.

"Elliot…what is it?" At their destination, Olivia slowed the car and parallel parked in a space in front of a diner they had previously agreed on grabbing a meal together at. She put the car in _park_ and then shut the engine off, letting both hands drop to her lap, the keys jangling in her right, as she stared straight ahead—the same position her older partner was in.

"That's a good question. What am I gonna do for a week." He leaned forward slightly, wincing, and adjusted his back against the seat, letting out a minute groan. "Kathy doesn't want me at the house." His voice was almost inaudible.

Olivia furrowed her brow and turned to Elliot, waiting for a further admission of information. "What do you mean? What happened, El?"

Elliot slowly turned his head and blue eyes met brown, "I think it's really ending this time, Liv. Her lawyer actually called me at the hospital yesterday and is writing up the papers. It could be final within the next month."

She watched as his eyes scanned her face, dipping slightly lower to her neck and then back up again. "El, I'm so sorry…" She delicately placed her hand on his wrist, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin, the bumpy veins there, the soft masculinity.

A slow smile crept along his face and he laughed lightly through his nose as he turned to look out the windshield now, rubbing his bristly chin once more, nodding. After a few moments, he turned and faced her. "Are you?"

Olivia's brow furrowed once again and she took her hand away, placing it back in her lap. She felt her heart jump, even if only slightly. "Of _course_ I am…" She clenched her teeth together in an effort to squelch the rage beginning to rise. "El…I've watched you, Kathy, your marriage play out over the past ten years, remember? I've seen the ups, the downs, the in-betweens…I've seen you miserable, I've seen her angry…I just feel—"

Olivia stopped herself. What was she going to say? _I feel happy? This is for the best. You'll find someone else? She'll come around._ The brunette detective didn't want to say any of those things because it wasn't what she felt. In a way she _was_ ecstatic that Elliot might finally be happy—away from the drama and angst that had plagued him for so many years.

What she really wanted to do was smile and grab his face with both hands and press her lips to his in bliss.

He looked at her now. "You feel what, Liv?" His voice was soft, gentle. His unwavering gaze could see through her, as it always could.

Olivia looked down at the NYPD keychain in her hand, running her thumb over the letters. "I just am happy for whatever makes you happy, El…" she looked up at him now, "…you know that."

***EEE***

Elliot studied his partner. He eyed her profile—that jawline, those deep cocoa orbs, her lightly flushed cheekbones, and that mouth. It was without much lip color right now, but those lips were ones that he had often longed to run his thumb across, touch oh-so-delicately before placing his own softly against hers.

He had fantasized about Olivia for years now—but not so much consciously as subconsciously. He watched her as they worked, admiring her beauty, her grace and style, her undeniable swagger, but as the inappropriate thoughts would enter his mind, he would quickly resist and push them aside and focus on what he did have in his life—his wife and his children, his job and the stability of his future with a pension.

It was when he was lost between wakefulness and sleep, or between clear thoughts and exhaustion that the images, the erotic forms of Olivia, the tiny scenes that his subconscious would devise would inch into his mind, driving him crazy with want.

All of these years he had kept his emotions about his gorgeous, independent partner at bay and now that he was most certainly getting a divorce, he wanted more of a reaction from the woman who had meant so much in his life.

Olivia was right. She was the one that had witnessed the turmoil, the rollercoaster of family dramas, the combustibleness of his marriage, and she had been the one to always persuade him to work things out, call his wife, or go home to his kids. She had been a motivator, a support, a marriage counselor of sorts, and yet he felt that there was a small part of her that felt the same way that he did.

All that needed to be done was let the next chapter begin. They would choose that last door on the right on _Fantasy Island_ , the one that was destined to be opened up one day, both of their hands on the knobs as they smiled at one another, Olivia's giddy face bright with hope as they pushed it slowly open, revealing their new world. The world they could both share together.

But that was _his_ fantasy. Not hers.

She had been more to him over the past ten years that just a partner. She had been a friend, a faithful rock and, although he wasn't good at showing emotions, he was everything to him.

Her reaction wasn't what he had hoped for, but it was what he expected.

Elliot steeled his emotions and put his hand on the door handle. "Maybe you should just drop me off at the _Days Inn_ up the street." He kept his unwavering focus out of the front windshield.

"Elliot?" Her tone was incredulous. "What do you want me to say? That I think you _should_ get divorced? That I'm happy that you've both made a decision to do what's right for both of you? That—"

" _I_ didn't make the decision. _She_ made the decision!" Elliot blurted.

But he wanted the divorce, had wanted it for so very long. But, God, he was so angry right now. He wanted Olivia to tell him that she had been waiting for this day. That she had always had feelings for him. That she had loved him all along.

Instead, he felt her eyes on him now, burning into the side of his head.

She turned the car back on and put in in reverse before inching backward. Turning her wheel to ease out of the spot she put it in drive and floored it, the wheels screeching her anger.

"Liv…" Elliot tried.

"Don't, Elliot. Just…don't…"

They drove in silence as they made their way to the _Days Inn_ , just five blocks away.

 **A/N: OK, I know when are we getting to the good stuff? It's coming. I promise. I am just establishing what we have all known the whole time** **. The smut will come soon enough…**


	4. Chapter 4

_Four_

***OOO***

At seven-thirty that same evening, Olivia stared at the keys in her hand, eyes glazed over, as she stood in front of her apartment door, not yet opening it. She had spent the majority of the rest of the day taking on double the caseload with Fin and Munch and when she had begun yawning every ten seconds, Cragen had told them all to go home and return bright-eyed and early the following morning.

Still, even in the midst of the piles of work, her mind frequently returned to her partner. Elliot's demeanor had been more than typically brooding. Over the past ten years it was on more than several occasions that he had been known to erupt at her, at the captain, at fellow detectives, but this was something else. He was wound up, angry, hopeless. Non-communicative. And there was something that seemed to be on his mind that, even after so long, she couldn't quite place. But it was something.

 _What did he expected me to say?_

Olivia blinked hard, feeling the sting of exhaustion in her eyes, the dryness of the air entering them, and snapped herself from her reverie. Her fingers found the correct key and she shoved it into the lock forcefully and turned, pushing her door open as she went and entered her darkened apartment.

The blinds were drawn, only a sliver of streetlight peeking in between the drapes of the sliding balcony door. She had recently purchased some blackout curtains for the living and bedrooms so that on the days that she came home after working long shifts, she could fall asleep despite the glaring sunlight outside.

And she was going to do just that.

She would stick that leftover sesame chicken from two nights ago in the microwave, pour herself a nice glass of Merlot, take a shower, and then fall into bed.

It seemed like the perfect evening.

 _***EEE***_

Elliot continued twisting the wedding band on his left finger, around and around, as his unblinking gaze stared out across the hotel room. Sprawled on the muted-neutral blend bedspread in only his navy, NYPD sweat bottoms, the TV in the background was playing some seventies action movie, the muted squealing brakes of a car chase playing in a low screech across the room. He thought of the cluster fuck that he had created. His marriage was dead and had been for a while. His children were out of reach to him. He was virtually homeless. And to top it all off, he had pissed Olivia off as well. The one person who, at this time in his life, meant so much to him.

What he wanted to do was to pick up his cell and call her. Talk with her about everything that he said, everything that was going on. He wanted to apologize for the ass that he had been. Try and rekindle what was left of their friendship. She had meant so much more to him than just a partner. Over the course of the years, she had become his best friend, as well. From the look in her eyes on a daily basis and the connection that they shared he knew, in his heart of hearts, that she felt the same. It was unspoken, but it was also more than obvious to, not only them but, everyone around them.

He closed his eyes and brought his right forearm to his forehead and rested it there, closing his eyes, his other hand on his bare stomach. The hotel room was uncomfortably balmy, the unit on the wall next to the window either like sitting in a walk-in freezer or blowing out the temperature it was at present, a tropical eighty-six degrees. He didn't feel like going downstairs and telling the front desk. He didn't have the energy. He didn't even feel like calling downstairs to let them know. He just didn't care at all.

 _Her perfume on him as she held him tightly, swaying. Her warm breath in his right ear, hips pressed to his._ He could still smell her scent. The same scent that had intoxicated him for so long. The scent of Olivia was a scent that he would recognize anywhere—a femininity with a hint of strength, like lavender and amber.

He had felt his body heat up in just those few seconds and he had found that he had absolutely no control of his heart rate or the moisture that had begun to form a light sheen on his chest and upper lip.

Although fleeting, he had never been so turned on so quickly. Not with Kathy. Not with former girlfriends. Not with anyone.

What clicked? Why was this different than working next to her for so long?

She had the Midas touch.

Elliot began chuckling. The chuckle leading into full-blown laughter in the quietude of his room.

He heard it before he saw it. His cellphone inching its way along the dresser supporting the TV. He sat up carefully, wincing in the process, and inched his way off the bed before heading toward the vibrating sound.

He flipped it open without looking at the caller ID. "Stabler."

"El?"

"Yeah…Liv?"

"Yeah…hey…can I stop by? I think we need to talk." Her tone was confident, commanding, certain.

"Uh…Liv…I don't know…I don't think…" he didn't trust himself any more. He didn't trust his heart. His emotions. He didn't trust that he wouldn't push her against the wall and finally feel those lips against his.

"I think we need to, El…" Her voice was softer now, "…before…I just—please…can we talk?"

Elliot nodded before he answered, "OK…I'll be here…"

"See you in a few…"

 _***OOO***_

Olivia stared at the phone in her hand, watching as the phone disconnected. She had showered, eaten and had a glass of wine and was now in a pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt, feet bare.

Something had become painfully obvious to her over the course of the past hour. She needed to see Elliot. They needed to talk about this unspoken subject that they were both avoiding. This tension that now hung in between them, filling the air with even more of a magnetism.

She would go over there. They would talk and sort things out. She would listen as he explained his side. She would support him. They would work through this and the tension would be erased.

They would be back to being the same partners as they always had been.

It had to be that way.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

 _***OOO***_

She stood in the hallway in front of the hotel room door and stared at the white, satin finish in front of her—glossy and bright. Lifting her arm up, her knuckles poised to rap on the door, it opened cautiously.

Olivia looked at Elliot and he looked at her, both in relaxed hesitation.

Then, the brunette felt her face soften and she smiled. "Hey, El…"

Blue eyes relaxed and the crinkle that she had always known him to have overtook his features and he returned the smile. "Hey, Liv…come on in…" He moved aside for her to pass and then closed the door behind her. "Sorry, the accommodations are lousy. The only place to sit is the bed…" He rushed to the slightly disheveled bed and straightened a pillow.

The room was small and typical of an average budget-friendly hotel, complete with a bolted TV to the dresser in front of the bed and the dated, busy-patterned curtain that matched the bedspread.

Olivia looked around, folding her arms. She suddenly felt awkward. Sitting on the bed seemed harmless enough but the heat that was beginning in her groin at the sight of her partner in his loose sweatpants, just a slight outline of his firm ass cheeks as he bent over to pick up a tissue from the floor, was enough to cause her hesitation. "Lulu's Diner is only a block away. I'll buy you a cup of coffee and we can talk?" Olivia tried a smile.

Elliot tossed the tissue in the trash can next to the door and then stood erect, smiling. "Sounds good."

 _***EEE***_

Elliot looked at the woman in front of him in the booth at Lulu's Diner. Even at ten-thirty at night and after a long, hard day, she looked mesmerizingly beautiful. Her hair was coming slightly out of the clip that she had it in, but that face—those full, pink lips, those dark chocolate orbs that were so kind, so serene, calmed him on so many occasions.

Like right now.

"Elliot?"

A waitress was standing at their table now, unbeknownst to the older detective.

Quickly recovering, Elliot stated, "Just coffee." He returned his gaze to his partner.

"You know what? On second thought, I'll take a piece of that coconut cream pie, too. You convinced me…" She smiled at the waitress.

"I'll have that right out, Sugar…" With that, the waitress left the table.

Olivia's gaze returned to him and she leaned her folded arms on the table, her smile faltering as her expression became serious. After a few moments of just watching the other contentedly, eyes searching faces, she said softly, "We can talk to each other…right, El?"

Elliot felt a lump forming in his throat and he nodded, not sure where the emotions were coming from as he felt a slight mist in his eyes, as well. He cleared his throat. "Always could, Liv. Since day one." He smiled gently.

Olivia leaned further forward, her expression pleading, "Then _talk_ to me, Elliot. _Talk_ to me… _I_ need that from you… _you_ need that from you…our partnership needs that."

"I know…" he declared softly. "It just seems…I feel like…" He fiddled with the paper napkin in front of him, folding all four corners down before speaking again, "I've really fucked everything up, Liv…my marriage, my relationship with my kids. Everything feels like it's spinning out of control and I'm bracing myself for the inevitable."

Olivia furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side, "The inevitable? What do you mean?"

The waitress returned and set down two mugs of steaming coffee and a plate of pie and a fork for Olivia. "You sure you don't want no pie, Sugar?" She looked at Elliot.

"No, thanks. I'll let my partner take the calories for both of us." He smirked at Olivia.

"OK, honey, you two let me know if you need anything…" She turned and left once again.

"What do you mean, the inevitable, Elliot?" Olivia held her mug in front of her mouth now, dark eyes hovering above the rim.

"Murphy's Law, Liv…"

Olivia narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't follow…"

"What else could happen? That's the question I keep asking myself. Since it's all being taken away, all that's left is my job now…my job and…" he waited a moment, gazing deep into brown pools, looking for any signs of fear, "… _you_ …"

Olivia blinked slowly, the two just watching each other contentedly. The brunette shook her head slowly before whispering, "Hey…" she leaned forward and placed her hand on his forearm, a warm, soft vibration hitting his skin, "…El…I'm not going anywhere. You won't ever lose me." Her concerned expression turned impish, "I plan on being a pain in your ass until we're old and decrepit."

Elliot couldn't help but smile. She always had a way of making him feel at ease. He felt relaxation now, the mood serene. Yet, there was an underlying humming, a buzzing of sensation.

 _Did she mean as his working partner, or something else?_

He couldn't deny his physical attraction for the woman sitting in front of him. She was not only aesthetically beautiful, her soul was mercilessly giving and understanding. The torment he felt from what his body was telling him to do, how he wanted to tell her to come back to the hotel with him and love him, made the anger rise in him again and he closed his eyes, taking his hand to his forehead and rubbing.

"Elliot?"

Elliot took a deep breath, eyes still closed. Looking at her made him long for her. Longing for her made him angry because he knew she didn't feel the same. Finally, he opened his eyes and decided to say what had been on his mind for so long.

"We're here, Elliot. Talk to me…"

He returned his gaze to her, his mouth moving ahead of his mind as he opened it. "I can't stop thinking about you, Olivia…" His voice was gruff, almost seductive, coming from a place deep inside of his heart, his soul, his emotions.

He had finally said it, voiced the way he had been feeling. The only thing to do now was wait for her reaction.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

 **I am trying to stay true to these characters. I have watched a lot of SVU over the past couple of years and I am really trying to capture Elliot and Olivia and what they would actually do in this situation. We all know their characters are intelligent, strong-willed, classy, and both have self-control, so I am trying to do them justice. I think both of them have the common sense to be very cautious, even if their attraction is strong. But, we know the heart and body sometimes overpower the mind. Please bear with me as this drama unfolds.**

 **Thank you to those of you who have already read and reviewed and made your voice known. It is much appreciated!**

***OOO***

Olivia's heart sputtered slightly and she blinked a few times before answering. "Wh-what?"

"Liv…" Elliot leaned forward now, "…my life is so fucked up right now. My mind keeps going back to the one thing that has never left. The one thing that is a constant in my life. The one thing—"

"Stop…" Olivia said softly. "Please, Elliot. Just stop…" She looked down briefly and then up and around the diner, only a couple of other people in their company, and began fiddling with a piece of skin on her thumb.

"Look at me, Liv…" Elliot's voice was soft, pleading.

She let her gaze return to his and they just looked at each other. However uncomfortable this situation should be, the brunette detective didn't feel uncomfortable. This was Elliot. Her partner of ten years. He knew more about her than some of her closest friends. He was her closest friend.

Her closest friend that she was undeniably attracted to.

"Have you ever thought about what it would be like, Liv? You and me together, in a real relationship?"

Olivia felt the blood begin its voyage up her neck as the anger rose inside of her. "Jesus, Elliot," she hissed. "You're married. You've been going through a lot…you're lonely…you're not thinking straight…" Her whisper was strained, yet controlled.

"I've thought about you, Liv. Two cops living together…we both know each other so well. We know what the other goes through. We know the emotions and the physicality of staying up for days on end. We just have that connection already, Olivia. And I have felt this way for a while…so you don't think it's just because of my current situation."

Olivia swallowed the sudden dryness in her throat and reached for her glass of water, taking a sip before placing the glass back, her gaze not once leaving her partner. "El…I haven't allowed myself those kinds of thoughts. In ten years I haven't let my mind even entertain the idea of a you and me. How can I? How could I? I won't do that to myself…"

Elliot's expression was hopeful, yet that intensity was still there, as he leaned forward. "So you have thought of it…we mesh so well together, Olivia…we both know it…this is more than simple loneliness…"

Olivia looked at Elliot. Something was different about him. He seemed focused, and even though intensity was a huge part of his MO, his intensity was focused on her and her alone. It made her stomach flutter with prospect, yet jolt with trepidation. She took a deep breath. Elliot Stabler was telling her that he thought of her. Not only had he thought of her, he had thought of a relationship outside of work with her.

***EEE***

He was just going to come out and say it. Fuck timing. Fuck tact. Olivia had been the source of his fantasies since he and Kathy had begun having problems. And up until a few days ago, he had been fine with it. He had gone on about life with those unattainable longings in his mind. But now, he felt a drive, a need, and he had to make her his.

No, this wasn't simple lust. It went deeper than that. He loved Olivia Benson and he had to tell her or his heart would burst.

He looked back and forth between those warm orbs and let his tongue go. "Haven't you ever thought about taking things further?"

"What further, El? How can we take it further?" She shook her head. "I would never be a home wrecker…" Her voice was soft and Elliot could see her eyes glistening with emotion.

"Olivia, you are more beautiful to me than you know…inside and out. Sometimes, it's all I can do not to just watch you. Your heart is so big. Your physical beauty only adds—"

"Stop…" Olivia whispered.

Elliot could see tears forming now, her nose reddening as she sniffed and looked around the restaurant. But the older detective's eyes remained glued to her. He didn't want to upset her, but he was seeing that he was.

Olivia laughed lightly, eyes focused behind him, as she wiped a falling tear quickly with her palm. "So, you think I'm pretty, is that it?" Her focus returned to him now, pure determination in them. "A guy telling me I'm pretty or beautiful doesn't exactly warm my hearts strings…" She looked down at her coffee cup, staring into the liquid. "It doesn't mean anything to me…"

"What about _me_ telling you that?" Elliot watched her carefully, looking for a flicker, a spark of something. "Does that mean anything to you?"

And there it was. He saw it in her eyes just then. That glimmer. They continued to watch each other, eyes unwavering.

Then slowly, but surely, Olivia nodded. "Yes…yes, El, it does mean something…"

"And you feel something for me, too…don't you?"

Elliot watched as his partner swallowed again. "How can I, Elliot?"

"I sign the papers Friday…" he stated calmly. "It will be official Friday…"

Olivia nodded, "And this is what you want?"

"Yes, Olivia. This is what I want… _have_ wanted…" He waited, still watching her intently.

"OK, El…If it's what you want, I am happy for you…" She tried a smile but it looked more like she was in pain.

"Olivia…I want to know if, when all of this is over, you would let me get to know you on a different level…"

"Elliot…" she started.

There was such conflict in those mocha pools. He could see that she wanted to say yes so very badly, but her mind was ruling her right now. Still, she surprised him with her answer.

"We could try, El…we could try…"

Those three words were all he wanted to hear—the possibility that Olivia Benson might be his, at least at some point in time. And that was all he needed to make his heart soar.

* * *

A/N: I would love to hear from you. I hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing and thank you all for the favorites and follows! I am glad you are enjoying it and would love to hear from you!

* * *

Chapter Seven

"What about Tybor and Bushido?" Elliot's voice entered the space.

"Told you he wouldn't take a break…you owe me fifty bucks," Fin offered to the brunette detective.

"Elliot… the doctor said take a week…" Olivia eyed her partner as he entered the pen the following day.

"I wanna finish this…" Elliot replied, eyes shifting from hers now, lower, glancing around, his breathing slightly labored.

Olivia had only slept two hours the previous evening—her mind a whirlwind of emotions, anxiety, nerves—and the whole concept of what it would actually be like to begin a romantic relationship with Elliot Stabler.

The idea frightened her, excited her, filled her with dread, yet had her body humming with anticipation. How many nights she had thought of him while touching herself, bringing herself to climax over and over again.

"Liv? You ready?" Fin's raised eyebrows were now looking at her expectantly.

Olivia's eyelids fluttered as she snapped herself from her brief interlude. "Y-yeah, let's go…"

* * *

***EEE***

Those words echoed in his head.

 _My family's gone. Lost them a long time ago. This life proved too much for them._

Elliot tilted his head back and tossed the shot of whiskey down his throat, the liquid burning the delicate skin of his esophagus only momentarily. He knew he shouldn't be here, alone and drinking. But it was his first drink and he told himself he would not drown his sorrows in alcohol. His only goal was to simply numb the edges of his emotions and try like hell not to think of his partner.

He made eye contact with the bartender and held up his index finger, signaling another shot _. To hell with it._ He reached for the Guinness already awaiting him, and slid the glass over, staring into the dark liquid before lifting it to his lips and taking a large gulp. His eyes shifted upward to the game playing on the flat screen on the wall behind the bar—the Yankees and the Orioles—the score 6-0 Yankees.

His cell phone pinged in his pocket and he shifted to fish it from his jeans before he looked at the screen.

 _Bring uniform tomorrow. Burkholt's twenty-year._

Elliot smiled to himself before replying to his partner's text.

 _Thanks for the reminder. At O'Malley's. Join me?_

Elliot stared at the screen, waiting. When there was no reply right away, he set his phone down on the scarred mahogany of the bar surface, scratched from years of keys, fingernails, and broken glasses.

Today was Thursday. Tomorrow, his divorce would be final. He almost couldn't believe it. So many years with Kathy and tomorrow he would no longer be her husband, nor she his wife. It was almost surreal.

An image of Olivia came into his mind without warning, as it seemed to do often lately. The way she had been standing, leaning against the wall in the interrogation room after they had brought Tybor and Bushido back to the precinct, her arms folded as they questioned him, the agent not able to reveal much, and the way she looked in those black jeans, hugging tightly against her skin, those penetrating brown eyes focused, and those brilliantly analytical wheels turning in her head.

She had caught eyes with him, as was typical in the time they had worked together, and had caught him staring. He could tell that she had been slightly uncomfortable with his attention and the expression that must have been written across his face as he so blatantly watched her.

Now, a ping on his phone again. He lifted it from the surface and looked at the screen.

 _Be there in five._

Elliot smiled and nodded and then set his phone down once more, taking another long swig of his beer.

He closed his eyes and his mind drifted back to the beautiful brunette that would grace his presence in the next moments. His heart fluttered slightly and he had to take a deep breath to regulate it once more. Even though he worked all day with her, he couldn't seem to get enough of looking at her, smelling her, being close to her. He wanted the feelings he got when he thought of her, saw her, spoke to her, to last forever.

And he had every intention of making that happen.

***OOO***

She spotted him as soon as she entered the darkened bar, the place reeking of stale cigarettes and spilled beer. The scent comforted yet simultaneously repulsed her. Walking toward him, she shifted her keys to her right hand and shoved them into the pocket of her leather jacket before standing next to him and perching herself atop the stool to his right.

Piercing blue eyes looked at her and he smirked, "Glad you could make it…"

"I just happened to be at the supermarket four blocks away…I have milk and eggs in the car…car is parked there, too." She removed her jacket and placed it across her lap before resting her elbows on the counter top in front of her.

"Thanks for the play by play…" Elliot smirked again and lifted his glass to his lips, swigging the remainder of his glass.

"No problem…" Olivia retorted, smiling back.

"Another?" the bartender questioned.

Elliot turned to Olivia now, "Join me? Have one, Liv?"

" _One_ , El…and then I have to get home. We both do…"

Elliot nodded to the bartender, "Jameson on the rocks…" and then turned back to the brunette, "…home? What home? You and I are free. We both have all the freedom and free time in the world, Olivia…"

Olivia could see his jaw muscles clenching at her suggestion. "Yeah…you're right..." Olivia said softly. She turned her head slightly and eyed him, "El…you know I didn't mean—"

"It's OK, Liv…" he smiled now, waving her off, and let his gaze slowly return to her, "…don't apologize…" His expression turned serious now as he watched her. It was the same expression that he had fixed on her as he watched her that same afternoon in the interrogation room, and Olivia almost didn't know what to do with it.

It unnerved her, yet she liked it. She liked the attention. Loved the desire in his eyes. She craved the wanton yearning that had never been there before. She felt sweat dot above her upper lip and she gingerly swiped at it with her forefinger, watching as the bartender set their drinks down.

Elliot lifted his shot glass in the air. "To another case solved and for getting that son-of-a-bitch Bushido."

"Cheers," Olivia said softly now, taking a sip of her own drink. The amber liquid singeing as it descended, a chill running down her back and warming her shoulders.

"Good job today, by the way…when Tybor took off and you went after him…I thought something might happen to you…I was happy to see you back on the ground with him in the squad car…"

Olivia looked down at her glass, wiping the condensation with her thumb, "Elliot…you always do that…"

"What? What do I always do, Liv?" His voice was gentle, soft, attentive. It wasn't as it had been many times before when he had accused her of being helpless and him having to rescue her.

"You always think I can't defend myself or think I'm gonna break in certain situations. I'm strong, Elliot. I'm a str—"

A hand on her upper arm now, holding firmly, "I know that, Liv…I never question your strength. I have _never_ questioned your abilities as a cop and a detective. Never…I just…I just have always worried about you, Olivia…if anything ever happened to you…"

"Hey…" Olivia saw the intensity in his eyes, the pleading. She couldn't help it. She reached out and cupped his cheek with her palm, smiling slightly, feeling her eyes prick with tears. She let her thumb brush across the stubble on his cheek, rough and bristly, but the skin beneath it was silky smooth. She looked back and forth between blue pools, both just studying the other.

The voice that emerged from her partner was unlike anything she had ever heard from him—a low, sensual utterance—and he whispered, only soft enough for her to hear, "I wanna kiss you so badly, Liv…" His eyes drifted to her mouth, not leaving her lips.

Olivia closed her eyes, her hand still on his cheek, and she shook her head slowly. "Not here…" she whispered. She opened her eyes now and saw pure lust in Elliot's eyes. "Milk. Fridge." That was all she said.

Within moments, drinks had been swigged, jackets slipped back on, and they headed out together into the crisp fall evening.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

***EEE***

He watched as she calmly brought the zipper to her leather jacket upward and then caught eyes with him. She smiled, something else in those chocolate eyes—a playfulness that he had seen many times throughout their partnership—but now with a certain lasciviousness as well.

She headed for the door now, Elliot following like a dutiful school boy, eyeing her backside unabashedly. That swish, those hips, she didn't know what she did to him, especially now.

He took a small breath as the door closed behind him and then caught up with the brunette who was two car's distance away, walking almost briskly. He picked up his step, jogging, until they were side by side, his partner staring at the ground as she walked, Elliot staring ahead, their breath visible in the cool night air. What was about to happen, he didn't know. He only hoped that whatever it was, Olivia wouldn't regret it, even if it was simply a kiss.

"Where is your car?" Elliot asked, looking at the brunette.

"Up here…" Her voice jostled from her confident footsteps as they continued. "Just a two more blocks…"

Elliot looked around as he walked, the streets dark, stores closed, save for the bodegas that sold burnt coffee twenty-four seven. He felt his bicep being clutched—grabbed really—and focused on Olivia who was now, with some Herculean strength, pulling him into a darkened stoop of a storefront.

Panting, he questioned, "Liv?"

Her face was close now, her warm breath lingering in puffs against his own lips.

His voice came out gruff, gruffer than he intended. "Now is your chance to back out of this. I can't guarantee I won't fall more in lo—"

Her lips crashed against his now, the softness, the pillowy pleasure pressed against his. He felt her mouth part and then a tiny nip to his lower lip before she opened herself fully, the warm soft sweetness of her tongue entering his own wet warmth. Instantly, his pants became tighter, the kiss sending immediate signals to his groin.

Then, he felt her smiling against his mouth as she continued to kiss him. In the darkened stoop of the _Lucky Lady China Food_ _Palace_ , he couldn't see her face well, but he could feel it and imagine that gleaming smile, those perfect teeth when they shone. And he could definitely feel her hands as they slid slowly, painstakingly slow, from his upper back, lower to his waist, and then cupped his ass, squeezing firmly.

"Do you know how long I have been ogling this and wanting to do this?" She squeezed it once more, this time her grip twice as strong.

Elliot's lower cheeks tensed, his erection gradually growing in size. He knew she must felt it at this point—especially the way her hips were now pressed against his.

Finally, the kiss broke apart and she rested her forehead against his, both their breathing labored.

Her voice was breathy, obviously no longer in her control. "And, El…"

She leaned back looking into his eyes and cupping his face now, "I won't want it to stop, either…"

Elliot only nodded, afraid of his voice at that moment.

"Come home with me? Come stay with me tonight?"

Elliot nodded again, this time clearing his throat of the rasp that was sitting lodged in the middle. "Yes, Liv…"

That was all he said. She moved back into the light and took his hand, the two making their way the two blocks to her car, both not knowing exactly what was going to unfold during the course of that evening.

* * *

 **A/N: I would love to hear from you. Please review because it feeds the muse!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

The ride to her apartment was spent in silence. Olivia felt her heart pounding in her chest, but she knew exactly what she was doing. This was Elliot. This was the man that she had been pining over for the past ten years and now he was going to be single.

But he wasn't single yet.

Part of her didn't care at all—that it wouldn't be for one more day—and part of her felt that the consummation of their love should wait. What was one more day to wait and give in to finally give in to the passion that she had felt for so long?

And she _had_ felt him. Felt him against her hip, felt his firm masculinity pressing against her as she took the initiative and pulled him into the kiss that she had been wanting to have since she knew that his divorce would be final.

But she was a good girl, right? A pillar of the community, a do-gooder that wanted to go the route of girlfriend and not mistress.

But the feelings that Elliot Stabler invoked inside of her were hard to ignore. This man, this firm, muscled man that took her breath away, that made her want to jump him and do the nasty every time she saw him, was real, in her presence and that was something that couldn't be denied.

"Liv?" His voice was questioning as she attempted to insert her key into her apartment door with shaky hands.

Olivia looked up, her key now firmly in the lock, "I told you, El…I want this…more than anything…"

They looked at each other now, blue eyes piercing her own, no question of the lust they both felt.

She turned the key and pushed the door open, exposing her darkened abode, the only light coming in being the streetlights in between the angled blinds in the living area.

Olivia felt for the switch and pushed it upward, the kitchen and living area illuminating immediately. Then she felt firm hands on her waist, warm breath on her neck, heavy breathing in her ear.

"I just want you to be sure…" he husked.

Olivia closed her eyes, feeling the proximity of her partner, and took the hands that were now resting on her waist and brought them to her breasts, hearing him moan behind her.

"I want you, Elliot…I don't want you to stop…" She allowed his hands to firmly knead her breasts, feeling as her nipples formed stiff peaks beneath those strong hands, his thumbs as they brushed her nipples enticingly.

Moving forward now, she entered the kitchen, putting a bit of distance between them now so that she could see his face in the low light. She turned, facing him, and they studied each other—him her body and her his body—the brunette noting that his eagerness was awaiting satisfaction on his lower torso.

She couldn't help the smile that began to creep along her mouth.

"What?" he questioned.

She only shook her head. "Want a drink?" She turned her back now and reached above her to the cabinet that held the Jameson whiskey.

Elliot stepped closer. "Are you asking if I need a drink to go through with this?"

Olivia looked at Elliot now, her face serious as she nodded slowly.

"No, Liv…" He stepped closer still, impossibly close, face hovering within mere inches of her own. "I know what I want…do you?"

Olivia studied him again, her eyes scanning his face, "I know what I want, Elliot…"

Elliot placed his hands on her hips now, moving in. "Every time you went on a date, or were dressed up, or were ready to go out with some other guy…it killed me, Liv…"

Olivia smiled now, "Oh, yeah?"

Elliot smiled. "Yeah…to know that you were going out with these guys that couldn't treat you like I could…it made me crazy…"

"Well…" Olivia moved closer now, "…they obviously didn't mean much because they didn't last…"

"What if it had been with me?" Elliot's voice was low, almost a whisper.

Olivia felt the discomfort now. "El…you…you were married…I needed… _someone_ …some _thing_ …"

"I know," he said softly, "…but now? Liv…I have wanted you for so long…we are like the…" he smiled now, "…the yin and the yang…"

Olivia couldn't help but grin back. "Yeah, El…the yin and the yang…"

"But now…" His gaze became intense as he eyed her mouth, "…I want you so badly, Olivia…"

His using of her full name did something to her, made her want to give herself completely to him.

"Yeah…I know…" she breathed, eyeing his mouth once more.

"And you've thought of me?" he asked, a smirk on his face.

"Don't flatter yourself too much, Detective Stabler…I've kept my hormones in check for the sake of normalcy…" She smiled at him.

"But you _have_?"

Her voice came out in a whisper, "Yes…"

He pushed her forward now, her backside against the kitchen counter and she gasped as he pressed himself against her. His hands now moved from her waist to her backside, clenching firmly. "And don't think that I haven't eyed this for many years…" He clenched her ass firmly, her body responding by tilting her hips upward and into him, his firm member waiting patiently below, the hardness exquisitely tortuous.

She needed him. Could feel a rush of her own desire in her panties as she gasped. "Can we stop talking about how much we want each other and just…"

His mouth found hers now, that warm mouth on her own, stubble from the day surrounding her lips as his mouth moved against hers. She felt rough hands on her face, holding her jaw lovingly, his tongue sliding into her eager warmth.

"Jesus, El…" she managed as his mouth finally broke away and his lips traveled to the ropey column of her neck, tilting it backward to allow his lips to work against her ever-heating flesh. "I don't want a quick fuck against the kitchen counter…"

He pulled away now, hands sliding down to cup her neck, studying her with those piercing eyes. "No?" His grin was knowing.

Olivia shook her head, "No…" Her eyes traveled to his shoulder and she let her fingers gingerly slide over his dress shirt, feeling the padding of the gauze beneath it. Her eyes returned to his. "Are you gonna be OK? We can wai—"

His mouth found hers once more and the intention was clear as he literally took her breath away. She whimpered against him, not ever remembering having been kissed so completely, so resolutely.

Breaking the kiss once more, Olivia's eyes remained closed as she attempted to catch her breath.

His needy voice was shaky. "Screw my shoulder, Liv…I would have it ripped open a million times over to be right where I am at this moment."

Olivia felt her emotions come now and her eyes tear and she gasped lightly, tilting her head to the side and cupping his jaw with her right hand. "I'm gonna shower…make yourself comfortable…" She smirked at him and removed herself from in between him and the counter and began moving toward the hallway. "I'll only be a few minutes…" She turned just shy of her bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable, El…" She then disappeared around the corner of her room.

***EEE***

Elliot watched as she disappeared from sight, eyeing her backside as she did something in front of her—most likely unbuttoning her blouse.

And then she was gone.

The raging hormones in his being were all over the place. He wanted her now—would have taken her against the kitchen counter—but she was right. They had been partners for ten years. They had withheld their desires for most of that time. This had to be right. He didn't want a one night stand with Olivia Benson. He wanted it to last as long as she would allow him in her life.

Slow and steady was what their relationship, their partnership needed right now.

And he didn't want to fuck it up.

* * *

 **A/N: I would love to hear from you. As a new writer of Bensler, I would like to know if this story is pleasing and how long it should go. I love the comments I have received so far. Understand that this is Elliot and Olivia and not a couple that would just screw quickly and it be over (at least not yet** **)**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Claire**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: The beginnings…right here…I hope you enjoy. Please review! Claire

Chapter Ten

***EEE***

Elliot could smell some sort of floral product wafting through the living room as he relaxed on the sofa in his partner's apartment. He closed his eyes and imagined her sudsing down as the warm water flowed over her, not able to think of anything else as the aroma entered his senses. Or was he imagining the smell?

She had been in there for twenty minutes and he had made himself comfortable as he always did, cracking open a beer and putting the same game that he had been intermittently watching from the bar.

A creak of the bedroom door and the scent got stronger. It was definitely from her shower.

"Hey…all done…" her voice declared from behind him. He leaned forward and set his beer on the coffee table before turning and looking at her. Where he had hoped she would be clad in some sort of silky robe, he was only slightly disappointed to see her wearing a pair of body clinging black yoga pants and a fitted gray, V-neck t-shirt, her feet bare. Yet still, she looked absolutely ravaging. She came around the sofa as she ran her fingertips through her damp locks, tousling them to loosen them. When she sat next to him, that's when the scent of flowers hit him intensely, now knowing that it had been, in fact, her shower.

He smiled at her now before returning his eyes to the game and reaching for his beer once more.

"Shower's yours if you want it…"

He looked up at her, those sleepy chocolate orbs studying him intently, her face washed clean and without make-up and he had never thought he had seen a woman more beautiful. His eyes traveled down now to the way her t-shirt was laying on her ample breast, the curve and swell of those perfect globes that he had longed to devour for so long, and Elliot felt his pants become uncomfortable all over again.

"I'm good, thanks…"

They looked at each other again and both opened their mouths simultaneously to speak.

"El…"

"Liv…"

Olivia smiled. "You go first…"

Instead, he leaned forward, inching his way closer to her, her body not moving away, not moving closer, either; just not as aggressive as she had been earlier on the street and again in the kitchen.

His eyes traveled down to her thighs, her left leg tucked beneath her, those feminine legs on display in her fitted pants. His hand gravitated to her hip and he leaned closer still.

***OOO***

Olivia leaned her head in and let her mouth hover over his as she closed her eyes, feeling his warm breath on her mouth. God, she wanted him more than ever and she could have him right now, if she so desired.

She let her hand go to his cheek before moving closer still, lips almost touching.

"What do you want me to do, Liv…?"

"Shhhh…" she offered. "Just be with me…close…it's all I've wanted, Elliot…"

Foreheads were now adhered to the other, their breathing becoming faster. She felt his hand travel from her hip, clenching once firmly, before moving upward, skimming the side of her left breast, feeling her nipples peak instantly from arousal. Then she felt a thumb brush across her stiff peak and she let out a shaky breath.

"God, El…I'm so turned on…"

He was on her now, body leaning into hers, the sofa becoming her support as he lay her back and began kissing her cheek, her jaw line, her chin, never quite meeting her mouth that was waiting patiently with anticipation.

A hand above her waistband, fumbling with the thick fabric, noting the shakiness in his own movements.

"I want to please you, Olivia…" His voice was lusty, restrained as he brought her waistband down.

She moaned as his thick fingers found their way inside the top of her tight yoga pants, and found her clit. Instantly, her body bucked up and she could feel the sudden flood of wetness that she had just showered away.

If Elliot Stabler wanted to please her, he was well on his way to mastering that objective.

"I'm yours, El…" she whispered.

Nothing could stop this now, she realized. Her mind was foggy, her lower lips pulsating as he continued to stroke her, her hips moving in a rhythm with his skilled digits.

And then his mouth was on hers—his lips moving along her own, enveloping her with his warmth, his tongue pressing for entrance, which she gladly submitted to.

That mouth was what she wanted. She had wanted to see how Elliot used that mouth in the right circumstances. She had watched it speaking for so long and wondered how he would feel on her, stimulating her, making her writhe underneath them.

"I want to feel your mouth, El…" she managed between kisses, her left hand pulling at her own waistband, trying to lower them.

"Allow me…" Elliot moved from the sofa now and knelt in front of her, pulling her forward with those strong arms, a smirk on that chiseled face, a sparkle in those cerulean eyes.

She watched him with heavy lids as he clutched her waist band and pulled downward, lifting her backside to facilitate the process.

Once off, he tossed the soft black fabric aside and brought his hands to the tops of her thighs, eyes searching them, an awed expression on his face, his fingertips lightly raking at her now-quivering flesh.

He leaned forward and closed his eyes, taking in a breath as his mouth hovered over her, and smiled. Opening those piercing eyes, he looked at the area in question and studied her through her sheer, white lace panties, taking those same digits to her fabric-covered folds, and stroking lovingly.

"You're soaked, Liv…"

She only nodded, wriggling beneath him, her body not able to keep from doing so. She needed contact. She needed to have her partner's mouth on her, his tongue driving into her, making her scream and moan.

Slowly, he hooked his forefingers into the waistband of her panties and tugged, the cool air hitting her exposed lower body now, sending another wave of pleasure throughout her body. She watched as he tossed them aside and then she shuddered in anticipation and couldn't help her hands going to the back of his head, lightly grasping his scalp and feeling the coarse, short hair beneath her fingertips.

She smiled, thinking something, and then realized it was coming out of her mouth before she wanted it to. "I've always imagined you would be good at this…"

Her mouth hung open for a second before he looked at her again, smirking once more.

Then it happened. His mouth found her wet core and the feeling was intense—unlike anything she had ever felt in her life.

Her partner, her best friend's mouth, was on her, and it felt like absolute Heaven.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: OK, guys. It gets steamy here, as promised. But alas, this is not the end of their "night"…I hope you enjoy and please read and review and let me know what you think!**

 **Claire**

Chapter Eleven

"Not here, El. Let's take this to the bedroom…" Olivia whispered, her chest heaving now.

Like lightning, the beautiful brunette had her legs wrapped around Elliot's waist and he lifted her from the sofa. She clasped her arms around his neck and he could hear her labored breathing against his ear, her warm breath on his neck, the scent of soap and the feel of her warm, soft body overwhelming his senses.

He made his way down the short hallway and entered her bedroom, kicking the door all the way open in the process, the force of the motion causing the door to bounce back and hit Olivia's right knee as he did so.

"Ow…" she whimpered, her voice full of yearning. He leaned back, still walking, and looked at her face and saw that she was smiling.

"Sorry…" he uttered. He moved now and placed her on the bed, reclining her so that her head was on the pillow, mocha hair now drying and splayed out on the white cotton of the case.

She leaned up now and swiftly removed her t-shirt in one motion before laying back again, now nude in front of him. His dick twitched as he looked at her and his eyes scanned every inch of her goddess-like body.

That caramel skin, those chocolate orbs looking at him with such desire, made his head spin and he had to concentrate on leveling his breathing out. If he wasn't careful, his satisfaction would come before they were both ready.

Olivia's fingertips began to stroke the smooth, tanned skin in between her breasts, her eyes scanning his fully-clothed body. "El…" she said softly, "…your clothes…"

Elliot smirked and he loosened his tie with his right hand, feet toeing off his shoes. Once his tie was off and flung aside, he began unbuttoning his shirt. But Olivia apparently couldn't wait. She sat up now and began undoing the buckle of his belt, pulling it with force through the loops and tossing it aside before deftly beginning work on his pants' button and zipper, also removing that with ease.

Somewhere in her past experience, she seemed to have mastered the art of male clothing removal, and Elliot couldn't help but smile.

Within moments, he was sliding his gray boxer briefs down, his member at full attention in front of him.

Olivia eyed him now, those pupils growing three shades darker, her breathing now heavy with desire. She looked back up and into his eyes. "Can we continue what you were doing?" She smiled, laying back once more, her lids heavy with arousal.

Elliot climbed onto the bed now and she parted her legs for him, so willing to submit to him, her body ready for him from the glistening folds that were now displayed for him. Her skin was smooth, her mound neat and sensual.

"Jesus, Liv…" he uttered before hovering over her, knees resting in between her long legs, supporting his weight with his arms. He leaned in now and she cupped his face with both hands. He saw the mist in her eyes now and her lower lip trembling slightly as she looked into his eyes. "Liv?"

Olivia shook her head and she smiled through her emotions. "Make love to me, El…"

His mouth slowly moved closer and he pressed his lips to hers, taking his time to inhale her scent, to feel her lips, taking in everything that was Olivia Benson. He felt her mouth part and her tongue slowly entering his mouth—warm, soft, comforting.

She moaned as his lower body now rested against hers, his cock now pressed to her hip. He felt his penis grow harder at the feel of her warm, silky skin against it, and he couldn't help but moan, as well.

His chest relaxed and he found himself now pressed against those perfect breasts, her stiff peaks now inciting more of a reaction from his sex awaiting pleasure. He felt himself literally pulsating against her thigh as the kissing ensued.

He felt a hand on his throbbing sex now—soft digits exploring, feeling, tugging slightly.

He grunted, "Not yet, Liv…" he managed and then felt her smiling against his mouth. Pulling away, he saw that she was, in fact, smiling. "I want you more than just—"

He didn't know what he was trying to say and didn't want to be crass about it. He wanted to tell Olivia that he didn't just want to fuck her. Although the idea of getting completely comfortable, with her belonging to him and him only, would gradually lead to the naughtiness that his brain had been trying to rationalize for so long.

She grabbed his face then and Elliot could feel his cheeks being squeezed, as she eyed his mouth. She lifted her head slightly and he crashed into her mouth again, feeling her hands move to his backside, clenching firmly.

He could feel her arousal on his lower belly now and this only made him harder. He slowly, slowly, began to make his way downward, kissing her shoulders, her collarbone, her breasts, swirling his tongue around her nipples, sucking them softly, watching and feeling as they puckered into pebbles. He kissed her rib cage, her soft, toned belly, making his way further down.

OOO

Elliot's mouth was like magic—softer than she had imagined—his five o'clock shadow only causing the slightest amount of roughness to the gentleness of his kisses. Hot breath against her swollen lower lips and she almost lost it right then and there.

She grabbed the back of his head now, guiding him to stay, anticipating the pleasure that was about to be from their brief moments in the living room. And then his mouth was on her again. She felt herself being parted with that skilled tongue, soft, warm strokes and he let the muscle move in deeper and deeper with every entry. She felt her head sinking further into her pillow as she tilted her head upward, moaning in pleasure, the sensations intense, her body on the brink of a release already.

"Oh, El…" she whimpered. "God, Baby…more…please…just like that…" She began panting now, feeling that tightness in her core, the burning beginning from deep inside, her body now wound like a coil, ready to spring into euphoria.

The sounds of his mouth on her wetness, the licks and sucking, and the moaning from her own mouth and her partner's heavy breathing all came into the present and her body froze briefly before releasing her orgasm in a series of bucks and moans, her body unable to be controlled as it spasmed on its own free will.

Once her contractions stopped, she whimpered, feeling her face still contorted with absolute pleasure. "Oh, God…" After a few moments, she opened her eyes halfway and peered down at the man in between her legs. And as she had suspected, that cocky grin was spread all over his handsome face.

She threw her head back against the pillows and laughed a breathy laugh, as she attempted to get her breathing and heart rate back under control.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve_

Elliot began moving upward now, kissing Olivia's hipbone, soft feathery kisses along her belly, up across her rib cage, savoring her breasts once more, relishing in them with his lips and tongue, before making his way back to her neck, and then chin, and then mouth, hovering over her, smiling.

Olivia shook her head and took his face in her hands. "Amazing…" she whispered. "Now…" Olivia brought her left hand down now and wrapped gentle fingers around his shaft, "…you've been a very patient man…" Olivia's fingers encased his engorged erection and she began an up and down movement.

Elliot groaned—a short, animalistic sound—that caused her to stop briefly.

He felt those strong legs wrap around him now and, with some sort of superhuman force, found himself rolled over and on his back, his partner now straddling him, her knees on either side of his hips.

He smiled. "I guess all of those tactical defense classes came in handy…"

"Yeah…" Olivia breathed, "…I guess so…" She leaned in now and kissed him hungrily, opening her mouth and shoving her tongue inside his own, her own soft muscle exploring his mouth with a heated need.

Elliot reached up now and placed his hands on her hips, his hardness waiting behind that toned ass patiently. He eyed her now as she pulled away and let his eyes roam over her feminine body—those hips, the curve of her waist, that toned stomach. He continued to take in her beauty and now let his fingertips move along the same path as his vision, letting light fingertips skim the sides of her waist and upward, teasing the soft skin of the sides of her breasts, watching as her nipples peaked instantly, yet again. His fingers traveled upward still to her shoulders and then down the arms that were supporting her. He watched her face now, those cocoa orbs watching him.

"This doesn't change anything, you know…" she offered, her voice laced with desire and just a hint of worry.

Elliot only shook his head. "It doesn't, Liv…only makes my feelings stronger…our partnership… _we_ …have always had this connection…you know it and I know it…making love to you only adds to our—"

Her mouth was on him again, kissing him, taking her time, a hungry exploration of his mouth, once more. She obviously felt the same. He felt her weight shift now—a weightlessness and then her weight placed elsewhere—behind his awaiting erection.

He needed no prompting. He needed no stimulation. From the moment that she had kissed him the first time, he had been ready to make love to Olivia Benson and pleasuring her only moments prior only made him all the more eager and excited to show his love.

She brought her hand to his firmness and began stroking him once more. He felt his expression become serious now as he sat up and took her upper arms into his hold, looking into her eyes. He placed his left hand on the back of her head cradling it and crashed his mouth into hers again as he moved his right hand to her folds, stroking gently, feeling the wetness already there from her recent release. She pulled away and let her fingertips lightly draw circles around his already wet head, his pre cum already having made itself known.

"I want you so badly, Liv…I'm gonna get off in a way I don't think either of us want to if you keep doing that. I have wanted to be inside of you…make love to you…to feel how much I want you…"

OOO

Olivia only nodded, smiling as she moved her left hand to her own hot, swollen lips and fingered herself firmly.

Elliot was bigger than any other man she had been with, and she knew that he wanted this to be pleasurable for her. That much was evident from his slight hesitation.

But she was ready. She felt herself becoming aroused all over again from the sight of his swollen cock, and the feel of her own pulsating lips down below. The way he had kissed and lavished over her body had it humming with anticipation.

She lifted herself now and hovered over his awaiting erection, moving her body upward for entry. As his tip touched her, sliding along her already slick entrance, she moaned, grabbing hold of it with her right hand, and continuing to let the tip stroke her, feeling as more wetness seeped from her. She caught eyes with her partner and saw that he was about to explode, his expression dire, his breathing labored. He gripped her forearms now and then slid them to her hips.

"I want to feel you, Liv… _all_ of you…"

She closed her eyes and began to lower herself onto his cock, slowly, allowing her body time to adjust, relaxing her muscles as she let him inside. She lifted herself up, once allowing him halfway inside of her warmth, and then lowered herself again, not able to help the low moan that escaped her mouth, this time, letting his dick go even further inside of her.

She opened her eyes now and looked at Elliot and noticed a pained expression on his face, his jaw clenched, opening it briefly to utter, "God, you feel amazing, Liv…so…"

She clenched her muscles around him now, squeezing and taking him further inside of her, and he groaned—a long, drawn out, guttural moan. Lifting herself once more, she lowered until he was all the way inside of her, the tip of his penis just barely hitting that spot that always paved the way toward making her cum. She wanted that spot hit by Elliot so badly, and he was almost there. She lifted slowly and then slammed herself onto him, beginning a slow rhythm at first, the intensity building with every pounding. Elliot began to meet her halfway, lifting his own hips upward to join her.

"Oh, God, El…" She slammed down in a quick rhythm now, the only sound was skin slapping against skin, moisture moving along moisture, her moans and his groans filling the space of her tiny bedroom.

She began to work harder to hit that elusively perfect spot. With every down thrust from her own hips and up thrust from Elliot, a spark of that burning sensation was quickly building, the brunette being stimulated in just the right way. She felt her hips being grabbed now, Elliot's fingertips digging into the soft skin of her moving muscles, and heard his strangled cry.

"I'm gonna cum, Liv…" he panted. "I can't help—"

Olivia leaned over him now and whispered, "Grab my ass…" before beginning to kiss him again, her pelvis still pounding into him.

Dutifully, Elliot clenched her backside with those strong hands, helping her thrusts along, the strength of her motions increasing two-fold just from this action.

Olivia broke the kiss and tilted her face toward the ceiling, eyes closed as she panted. "I'm coming, El…I'm—"

And then it happened—absolute euphoria filled her entire being. From deep inside, a warmth emanated from her core to her lips and outward, filling her legs and feet, her arms and hands, as her body jumped, jerked, and her orgasm rolled through her with abandon.

She heard that strangled cry again—deep and masculine—and looked down, still panting, still in the middle of her climax—and watched as Elliot's face twisted in pleasure and she felt his warm liquid spill into her.

She continued pumping but, by now, Elliot couldn't thrust any more, his body spent. She milked the rest of her orgasm, letting her body enjoy the last few contractions before allowing her chest to collapse on top of his.

They lay with each other, letting their breathing even out, resting in the afterglow of a mind-blowing climax.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

***OOO***

Olivia smiled as she reached over to her left and wrapped her arm around the solid expanse of muscle next to her. She let her fingers dance along his abs, momentarily fingering the stomach she had longed to touch. The mass of bumps, the firmness of his muscles, had her body heating all over again.

She felt Elliot chuckle softly now.

"What?" she questioned.

"Nothing…it's just…you seem to be mesmerized by that particular area…" He moved his head closer and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Yeah…" was all she could manage.

It hadn't just been his abdominal muscles. From the times that she had seen him shirtless, while he was working out, or just happened to be bare-chested, she had imagined how the rest of his body would look.

"What are you thinking, Liv?"

Olivia propped herself on her left elbow then, hand still holding his waist. "What do you mean?" She looked into those blue eyes, still half-lidded from exhaustion and satiation.

"I mean…" He remained on his back now, turning his head to face her. "What are you thinking?"

Olivia thought for a moment, studying his five o'clock shadow, her eyes skimming down to his broad chest, those pectoral muscles that were everything she had imagined. She smiled then. "I am thinking…that I'm hungry…"

Elliot closed his eyes and took in a deep breath then. "Never one to dance around the food subject, were you?"

Olivia clenched his side firmly. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Elliot opened his eyes then. "It means that, even at work, our meals have always been a point of pleasure with you—Chinese, Italian, Thai…"

Olivia studied his face now—so relaxed, so at peace. "So, my appetite has been a focal point with you?"

"Always…" he muttered softly.

Olivia watched him for a few moments longer, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and steady. "So…if my appetite, as you like to say, has been something that you have been memorizing…what's my favorite food?"

Elliot opened his eyes then and shifted himself to his right elbow, scanning her nude form now as he gathered his words. "Italian. Definitely Italian." She smiled, his gaze now meeting her own.

"Wrong." She moved onto her back now and looked up at the ceiling.

"Wrong?" He questioned, almost shocked.

She closed her eyes now and smiled. "So wrong." She felt a finger begin to trace her lower belly, her body tensing from this action, a tingling sensation moving straight to her core.

"Chinese?" he questioned, now moving those light fingertips upward, skimming the smooth, flat skin in between her breasts.

Olivia smiled then. "Closer…you're, at least, in the right area of the world…" she giggled.

"Thai?" he questioned, his hand firmly gripping her right breast, letting his thumb dance along her peaked nipple.

Olivia smiled again, feeling the burning in her core, a twitching in her lower lips, once again. She rolled back onto her left side now and brought her leg over his hip, placing it there and looking into those blue pools. "It took you a few guesses..." she smiled.

Olivia now pushed him back and moved to straddle him, placing her hands on his chest, eyeing the muscles. She let her fingertips dance along his pectorals, relishing in his firm, hardened nipples.

"Too many guesses?" he questioned softly.

"I think so…for someone who has worked with me for so long…" She leaned forward now and began peppering his chest with soft kisses. She shimmied her core now, sliding down to just above his semi-hard erection, and placed it firmly on his lower belly, letting him know just how ready she was to go again.

"Liv…" he said softly, clutching her hips firmly.

She smiled then. "Yes?"

He smiled. "Nothing…" His hands moved now to her backside and he squeezed it with intention. "I didn't think that you were…"

Olivia cocked her head to the side, smirking at her partner. "Didn't think I was what?"

"So…"

"So, what, El? I can take it…"

"Sexual…" he admitted.

Olivia opened her mouth now in mock shock. "Well, Detective Stabler…" she leaned forward and kissed his neck now, placing soft, gentle kisses along the ropey column, "…then I guess you didn't know me, then…" her mouth found its way upward now to his chin, his cheeks, before looking at him once more and then planting a firm kiss on his mouth, probing her tongue into his open warmth, wishing for more closeness with him.

"Mmmm…" he moaned, hands now moving upward, along her hips and up to her breasts, holding them firmly in his warm hands. "You're so fucking sexy, Olivia…I have always thought that…"

Olivia smiled again and leaned backward, lifting herself and moving her body below his now erect penis. "I see you might be ready for another round..." She began stroking his chest with long sweeps, letting the backs of her fingernails trace his nipples.

"Oh, I am…"

She began giggling now. "I'm hungry, El…"

He moved his hands back down to her hips, sliding around to her buttocks. "Oh, yeah?"

She tilted her head now. "For _food_ , Elliot…I haven't eaten…"

He patted her backside a couple of times and smiled. "Well…we can order something…"

***EEE***

He still couldn't believe that she was in his arms, on top of him, and they had just made love— _or was it sex?_

The way the brunette detective had been on him, enjoying him, thrusting on top of him—he wasn't quite sure. He felt an undeniable connection to her, but still couldn't help but think that she might just be a woman with needs. With wants that he could obviously satisfy. Her body was glorious and he couldn't get enough. Those breasts that he had eyed for so many years had been pleasured by him. That ass that he had ogled, had now been squeezed and grabbed by him. She had given herself to him and he couldn't have been a happier camper.

"So…you wanna order something?" he finally questioned as she brought her gentle finger tips to his hardness.

She only nodded, focusing on his manhood in front of him, stroking delicately, watching as it continued to harden with every touch of her soft hands.

He loved those hands—had watched them daily. So strong and firm, yet delicate and feminine. He loved the fact that she was simple in her attention to them—a little light color of polish, a thin rose gold band on her right ring finger. He would be sure to ask her the meaning of her chosen jewelry at a later point in time.

"I think so, El…Thai?" she smiled, leaning forward closer still.

"Thai it is…" He smiled, taking his hands to her shoulders and letting his hands gently smooth down the gentle muscles of her upper arms.

"I'll tell you what…" she began, "…we can order…" she kissed his right shoulder now, "…and then…" she kissed his left shoulder, "…we can make love again…" she kissed the middle of his chest, "…and wait…" she moved herself closer to his firm member, her parted lower lips rubbing enticingly, "…until the food comes…and then you can answer the door..." She smiled.

Elliot grabbed her ass again, smiling. "Sounds wonderful…although…isn't it usually wifey that goes and answers the door?"

Elliot watched Olivia's expression change now—from one of pure eroticism to one of extreme concern.

Even though in jest, he wondered if he had said the wrong thing. Her body language had changed. She had suddenly become rigid and she moved off of him, moving to the edge of the bed and standing.

"Liv?"

Within moments, she had taken her robe from a chair by the window, placed it on, tying the sash hastily, and had left the bedroom, without so much as a word.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

***EEE***

Elliot quickly threw his dress pants on and zipped them hastily, almost ripping into his still-erect manhood in front of him. "Shit…" he hissed before pulling the zipper up over his now deflating erection. He moved to the doorway and walked through, walking down the short hallway before spotting Olivia at the stove, placing a kettle on the element and turning the stove on. He watched as she placed both hands on the stove ledge and hung her head.

Moving carefully, not wanting to startle or upset her further, he moved silently into the kitchen, leaving enough distance in between them to let her notice him and collect her thoughts.

He watched as she took another breath, slow and steady, and then turned, closing her eyes and folding her arms, still unaware of his presence.

He waited still.

She opened her eyes and her gaze moved from the counter ahead of her and then to his eyes. They watched each other for a moment—that look he had seen on her face so many times. But never with him. It was a look of contempt that he had seen so many times as they interrogated perps, busting misfits that violated women and, in turn, the law.

"What did I say?" he finally spoke up, when the silence and the cruel stare was almost too much to bear.

She laughed lightly and smiled, shaking her head. "What did you say…really? That's rich, El…" She moved to the upper cabinet and took out a box of tea and then slammed it on the counter.

Elliot thought about it. What did I say? Then recognition washed over his being. "The wifey comment…" he said softly.

She turned then and her gaze was piercing. "You're not even fucking _divorced,_ Elliot…" She laughed lightly now. "And I slept with you anyway…" she said softly, staring off into space. "I'm so stupid…"

Elliot stepped toward her now. "Hey, Liv…he moved to try and place his hands on her waist, but she was too quick and she moved away, into the living room, just standing next to the back of the sofa.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked now. God, she looked beautiful. The way that robe was laying on her naked form, Elliot knowing exactly what was under there now, had the older detective thinking thoughts that he shouldn't have been at that moment.

She looked at him again, her gaze unwavering. "What's going to come out of this, El?" Her voice was weak, her emotions now visible from her now-forming tears threatening to spill from those beautiful brown eyes. "Anything? Nothing?"

He decided to speak his mind now.

***OOO***

"Olivia…" he moved into the den now, standing a safe distance from her.

She was so angry right now. So confused. From his comment she felt like the notorious _other woman_. A role she never wished to be, especially with Elliot Stabler.

"I want you…have always wanted you…"

She studied him now, his gaze unyielding, unwavering.

"But maybe you don't feel the same…" he declared softly. He turned to walk back down the hallway. "I think I should le—"

"No!" she said, louder than she had wanted to. Then softer, "No…"

He stopped and looked at her again, her arms folded, now staring at the floor.

"I don't want you to leave…" She looked up now, once more, and they watched the other.

She tried a small smile.

"Can I….come closer?"

Olivia's mouth turned into a small smile, as well and she nodded. "I think we need to talk, El…really talk about what could and might be…our physical attraction for each other aside…"

Elliot nodded. "I'd like that, Liv…"

Elliot moved toward her now, watching as she rounded the sofa and sat.

He remembered that she was hungry and spoke up. "Order something?"

She looked back at him now and smiled. "Yeah, El…that would be great…"

* * *

 **A/N: I know it was short. But short and sweet and every couple of days is better than long and nothing in between, right? I am a teacher and am off for summer vacation, so I have the time to let this story ooze from me every couple of days. I hope you enjoyed and I would love to hear from you…**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: This is the final chapter. Thank you to those of you who have read and enjoyed and reviewed. It means so much. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Chapter Fifteen_

***OOO***

She didn't know why she was so emotional. She didn't know why she had just bolted from the bed and left the situation at his comment. After all, this was Elliot and she knew that he could be an ass at times. Comments like the one he had made weren't uncommon for him—a chauvinistic comment here, a slight stinging jab there—and she knew that it was just a part of his sometimes playful, sometimes unbearably facetious demeanor.

Still, it had gotten to her.

The man had about twelve hours left until he was certifiably, absolutely, undeniably legally a free man.

But she had already slept with him.

And God, was it amazing. She had never felt so alive, so turned on, so absolutely in tune with anyone on the bedroom before. Her prior lovers had never made her come to quickly, so easily. Had never made her body want to do it all over again within a matter of seconds of recovering.

The food had been ordered and had arrived and now, the two sat in the living room. Olivia had changed into a pair of jeans and a black hoodie and Elliot had found his pants and shirt and had placed them on.

They had eaten greedily, both wishing to refuel from their calorie burning session, and now were just sitting in silence, the ten o'clock news on low in the background.

"I want this to be something, Liv…" Elliot's voice was low, sincere.

Olivia turned now, studying his face now, those eyes so emotional, pleading. "Me, too, El…it's just…"

"Scary…I know…" He moved closer now and placed his hand on her knee, "…but we have known each other so long…have both had these emotions, been so in tune to each other every day for ten years…we can make it work, Liv…"

Olivia only nodded, feeling her eyes fill with tears. "You have to be patient with me, Elliot. Being in my situation is not the easiest one to be in. I won't be well-liked by your family any more…"

Elliot smiled then. "The subject of Olivia Benson has always been a tense topic amongst the Stablers…"

"I know," Olivia whispered.

***EEE***

Elliot felt the hope now as he took his hand to Olivia's cheek and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. This woman was giving a green light for their relationship, saying that they could work things out, that there was a possible future for them

And he couldn't have been happier.


End file.
